Labour Fiasco

The main theme of Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on 12th May was “Self
Reliant India”. With this objective he announced a mega economic package of Rs.
20 lakh cores to counter the financial fallout of the coronavirus crisis.
In his address, the Prime Minister said, "The
package will focus on land, labour, liquidity and law; it will help small
business, labourers and farmers. It will focus on the well-being of migrant
workers too". It would cater to various sections including the cottage
industry, MSMEs (Micro Small Medium Enterprises), the middle class and
industries among others, he added. He also said that the Finance Minister,
Nirmala Sitharaman would unveil the details of the economic package.

Unfortunately,
the PM failed to mention in his address anything about the pathetic condition
of the migrant workers. There was no word of empathy for the workers who died
on the way due to accidents and exhaustion. On 8th May, a cargo
train had mowed down 16 migrant workers, who were sleeping on the railway tracks
near Aurangabad. The workers were walking along the railway track from Jalna in
Maharashtra to go to their villages in Madhya Pradesh. Due to exhaustion they
slept over the railway tracks and train ran over them. The migrant labourers
are partners in building India while the soldiers protect the country. Are the
builders of India less than the protectors? Then why are they neglected and not
cared for?

When the Finance
Minister disclosed the details of economic package on 13th May,
there was not much for the migrant labourers and the workers of the unorganized
sector. On 14th May, the FM revealed that Rs. 3500 crore will be spent
for an estimated 8 core migrant workers. Each migrant worker will be getting 5
kilogram grain and one kilogram chena (pulses) for two months. The impoverished
migrant workers urgently need cash transfer also, which the government has to
consider sympathetically.

The opposition
parties severely criticized the government for its neglect of the poor sections
of the Indian society. "The special economic
package announced by the Union government is nothing but a big
zero. It is eyewash to fool people. There is nothing for the unorganised
sector, public spending and employment generation," said the West Bengal
CM, Mamata Banerjee. The Left parties said that government failed to address
the immediate concerns of people and dismissed the economic package as a
"farce".

The government had announced
on 13th evening a measly sum of Rs. 1000 crores from the PM CARES
fund for the welfare of the migrant workers. According to P Chidambaram,
the money from PM CARES fund will not be given to the
migrant workers but to the State governments to meet the expenses of travel, accommodation,
medicine and food for the migrant workers. But nothing will go to the hands of
the migrant workers," tweeted Mr Chidambaram.

The media continue to
report the tragic stories of thousands of migrant workers walking on the roads
and dying due to accidents. Some of the scenes are heart wrenching. NDTV News
on 14th showed a lady pulling her suitcase and her child resting
over it in scorching son. In another scene a young migrant worker from Madhya
Pradesh, Ramu wheeled his daughter and pregnant wife for about 700-km from
Hyderabad to Balaghat on a makeshift wooden cart that he made with wood and
sticks. News papers in Indore carried three depressing pictures on 12th
May: a young man carrying his disabled mother on his back and walking, a mother
and her elder son together carrying her disabled son and a young man pulling
bullock cart along with a bullock on the other side, carrying his mother and
mother-in-law. The young man of the third picture was forced to sell one of the
bullocks, as he had no money for buying food and other essentials.

The number of
accidents involving the migrant labours is increasing. On 14th
morning, eight workers died and over 54 suffered injuries after the truck they
were travelling in was hit by a speeding bus in Madhya Pradesh's Guna. The
incident was reported hours after six migrant workers were run over by
a bus on a highway in Uttar Pradesh.

Instead of caring for the workers some
state governments are depriving them of their rights under the shade of Covid
19. Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments promulgated ordinance to
suspend most of the labour laws for three years in order to attract investment
and facilitate economic revival. Similar move is also contemplated by the
Gujarat government.
Six state governments have
already enhanced the daily working hours from eight hours to 12 hours through
executive order in violation of the Factories Act. Ten central trade unions on
11th May said they are considering approaching the International
Labour Organization (ILO) against suspension of major labour laws in these
states. The changes in the labour laws will reduce the workers to the status of
slaves.

India cannot be made
self-reliant by trampling upon the basic rights of workers. The working class
secured its rights after struggling for many years. Under the pretext of
economic development the workers cannot be denied of their basic rights. India
should aim at self reliance along with dignity for workers. The central
government in consultation with the States may take immediate steps for solving
the issues of the workers, including migrant workers.

First of all, the
Central government should intervene to stop the states from depriving the
workers of their basic rights. Only a contented workforce will be able to contribute
significantly for the economic development of the nation. There is no doubt
that the labour laws that are detrimental to economic growth should be amended
or removed in consultation with the representatives of the workers.

Secondly, the Central
government has to coordinate with the state government for safe travel of the
migrant workers back to their states. No state government should allow migrant
workers to walk. They should arrange suitable transport to reach them to their
respective states as the Madhya Pradesh government is doing now.

Thirdly, besides
providing ration to the migrant workers, a particular amount of money should be
transferred into the account of the migrant workers to tide over the Covid
period at least for three months. The migrant workers who have returned to
their villages are already impoverished and emaciated due to the ordeal they
had to undergo during the lockdown and their travel back to their villages.
They may not get any job in the villages where already unemployment and
underemployment are rampant. Hence financial support to them is urgent and vital.

Fourthly, employment
facilities are to be created in the rural areas in view of accommodating the
workers returned from the urban centres. These workers may not go back immediately
to the cities where they were humiliated and made to starve. Only better
working conditions and minimum security will attract workers to the cities
again. The States may adopt strategies
similar to the plan already prepared by Jharkhand to provide employment to its
work force. Jharkhand in one the states from where largest number of workers
migrate to other states in search of jobs.

The Jharkhand government has prepared
three schemes to provide employment to the workers returning from the cities as
well as to make the best use of its important resources: land, water and
forest. They are Birsa Harit Gram Yojana for rural plantations, Neelambar
Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana for water conservation and the Poto Ho Khel Vikas
Scheme for making playgrounds. All the three schemes will be implemented by
making use of the provisions under MNREGA and other state sponsored programmes.
The Jharkhand government has requested the Centre to increase the number of
working days under MNREGA and the wages per day.

Under
the Birsa Harit Gram Yojana, over two lakh acres of land will be used for
afforestation. Five lakh families would be given nearly 100 fruit-bearing
plants, with initial plantation, maintenance, land work and afforestation to be
taken up through MNREGA. Each family is estimated to receive an annual income
of Rs 50,000 from the produce from the third year onwards. Under the Jal
Sammridhi Yojna, water storage units will be constructed to store rainwater and
recharge ground water. Under the playground scheme, the government aims to
develop 5,000 grounds, with at least one in one Gram Panchayat. There are
around 4,300 panchayats in the state.

Fifthly, the State
governments have to create a better environment for the migrant workers. The
urban India continues to be the economic hubs of India and therefore workers
are needed for the revival of economic activities. Legal protection, security,
minimum wage, health care etc. are the aspects the State governments have to
pay attention.

A country that does not do
justice to its workers cannot become great by enhancing its economic and military
power. The migrant labour fiasco has already spoiled India’s name in the
international circles. The international media have highlighted the way they
are being treated, sometimes worse than animals. Instead of basking in the past
glory, the rulers have to treat humanly the migrant workers. The migrant
labourers are also the citizens of India with all the right and privileges
guaranteed in the Indian constitution. Justice, Liberty, equality and
fraternity, ensuring dignity as mentioned in the preamble of Indian
Constitution, are also applicable to them.
It is the duty of the Central and the State governments to ensure these
rights to them. Unfortunately the Prime Minister forgot to remind himself and
the State governments that the migrant workers should get justice, and not
charity.